Czech local elections begin: Registered EU residents can also cast ballots

Voting began across Czechia at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, as residents choose municipal councils for the next four years. The elections coincide with the first round of voting for one-third of the Czech Senate.

Polling stations will remain open until 10 p.m. Friday and reopen Saturday, Oct. 10, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Results from most municipalities are expected by Saturday midnight, with complete local election results likely available Sunday morning, ČTK reported.

For international residents, the local elections offer an opportunity to participate directly in Czech public life: eligible citizens of other EU countries can vote if they have registered. Senate elections, however, are restricted to Czech citizens.

EU citizens must be at least 18 by Oct. 10, have registered permanent or temporary residence in the municipality, and be entered in the supplementary electoral register.

The deadline to request registration for this election has already passed. In Prague, voters choose representatives for both the citywide council and their municipal district council.

Nationwide, nearly 190,000 candidates are competing for approximately 62,000 council seats. More than 8 million people are eligible to vote, according to ČTK. Turnout in the previous municipal elections was slightly below half of eligible voters.

Choice is limited in some smaller municipalities. Around one-third have only one candidate list, while roughly one-sixth have as many candidates as council seats. Elections will not take place in five municipalities because too few candidates registered.

Alongside the local elections, 154 candidates are seeking 27 seats in the 81-member Senate, the upper chamber of Parliament. Senators serve six-year terms, with one-third of seats contested every two years.

Twenty-three incumbent senators are seeking reelection. The results will determine whether opposition groups retain their majority or the governing parties gain control of the chamber.

Contests unresolved in the first round will proceed to head-to-head runoffs a week later. The remaining 54 senators keep their seats regardless of this month’s results.

Only Czech citizens aged 18 or older can vote in Senate elections, according to the Senate’s official voting guide.

Registered EU voters heading to the polls should bring valid identification and check their assigned polling station with their municipal office. Local election voting takes place in the municipality where the voter is registered.